Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital 31 --- General Discussion Room

20. patH / Patrick Hollstein - Der tanzende Schwan (The dancing swan) Bravo! I love it -- the liveliness, the melodies, the movement, the great technique, and how it all fits together in such a satisfying way. But it didn't sound like a swan to me; although maybe they sound different when they're dancing.

21. aTallGuyNH - New York State of Mind (intro only) Sounds like you really enjoyed learning this and having the chance to play it in such a neat place. Cool angle and lighting on the video.

22. PikaPianist - Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3, Gb major Schubert wrote such gorgeous music. This is one of my dream pieces for "someday". Beautifully played! You make it look and sound effortless.

23. Serge88 - Manha de Carnaval Smooth and relaxing.

24. Anne H - Julia arr. by Phillip Keveren There are some interesting chords/melody combinations in this piece. You present it nicely. Welcome to the ABF recital!

25. Dumik - Chopin nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 And welcome to you too, Dumik. This is pretty amazing at 6 months! The phrasing and ornaments are beautiful. You obviously have a gift.

26. dynamobt/ Marilyn - The Seasons, June I like this piece -- dark and beautiful, with that section in the middle to lighten it up a bit. Sweet ending! You play it with skill and conviction. Excellent.

Again, thanks everyone for taking time to comment on my piece. I always learn new things from these comments.

Sorry for the slow reply on the comments on my piece, I was terribly busy last week, all these holiday events eat up all my time


Thanks for your nice comments!


Great to hear that. I always wonder whether others hear the same as I do in a piece but I would not even know myself how to describe that.


Nice to hear that my playing inspired you. I can definitely recommend to get a teacher with a good amount of classic expertise. Classic music has lots of details and getting the details right is paramount to get a beautiful performance. It really helps me a lot that my teacher can detect AND explain all my flaws , explain why they are important, etc.



Thanks Sam, good to hear you like the dynamics


Jim, thanks! It amazes me how many people like my Grotrian's sound as it seems quite different from the 'standard'.


Nice to hear that you like my attempt at this and that the singing and pedaling works

1000 pardons in taking so long to get out here.

Thank you to our organizers for a another fabulous show.

I have received some very nice comments with useful, constructive suggestions for improvement in
response to my Chopin entry. Thank you to all that have listened, a double thank you to those that have commented and a quick response to some is here:


Nice of you to pick up on the Piu Mosso section, SwissMS. This is my favorite part of the piece and I've been experimenting with treatment. I feel better that you agree with this tempo and perhaps I am on track with it.



Agreed. This Waltz is one (at this point of development at least) that is actually easier/smoother when playing at a brisker clip. The challenge is getting it smooth and even at any tempo and then dialing it in at the right one. I'm trying to follow your advice though, as it is bang on.



Thanks, dynamobt. This was mentioned a few times. I feel similarly of other pieces I heard performed in this and other recitals. So, I vote for an interim recital where those inclined submit their piece again after an additional 4-6 weeks of rehearsal . The challenge though ... when will it ever be really ready ...



Thanks, MaryBee.
Yes, I've tried this and you're right about it. Working on it ...



This is nice to hear, Jim. Thanks. I've not had this piano long and there are some issues with it (old strings that buzz a bit) that my Piano tech guy was quick to point out. But what he missed and what I am convinced of, is how great it sounds.

The piano tech guy views it from the perspective of how much he could get for it at resale (he liked my noisy Kawai better.) Where as I need it to feel and sound the way I like.

In my opinion, this piano sounds better then any I have ever had. So, glad to hear you comment on this, Jim and recognize it even through recording with my currently mediocre pre-amp.

Sorry to be a laggard. Here is the last set, everything 5 minutes and above.

14. Allard, Dreamer's Waltz
Allard, I'm impressed. You play this with confidence and musicality.

8. SwissMS/Doris, Arabesque 1
Beautiful. I've dabbled with this piece a few times over the years but never managed to get it to performance quality like you.

26. dynamobt/ Marilyn, The Seasons, June
Very expressive. I really like your sense of tempo and dynamics.

52. WJ3 / Walt, Solace A Mexican Serenade (1909)
You are making great progress with this.
(As an aside, I wish you had a more faithful recording method.)

22. PikaPianist, Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3, Gb major
Lovely, you make the harmony sound so easy which it isn't. Somehow you manage to keep it even and quiet while playing an expressive melody with the same hand. Are you sure you don't have three hands?

5. MaryBee, Three Sinfonias
What an overachiever! I'd be happy to get even one of these to the level you play. The last one certainly is tough. I think you pull it off, but the 32nd notes don't sound completely effortless yet.

12. Peyton, Message From Space: Part Four- A Journey to the Far Side of the World
I was looking forward to another installment of "Message From Space" this recital. Now I want even more. Will there be another installment next quarter? Pretty please.

9. Sam S, Nocturne Opus 37/1
You give this a stately feel. If there were mistakes, they weren't big clunkers since nothing jumped out at me. Well done.

20. patH / Patrick Hollstein, Der tanzende Schwan (The dancing swan)
What a fun romp. A delightful opera overture performed and written for piano. You definitely have the feel for composing this music, and you can play it too. Bravo!

16. Richard (zrtf90), Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth
This is new to me. You did a great job on the "liner" notes, but I didn't need them in order to maintain my interest. Well played.

36. timmyab, Sonata in C K545
Nice playing. Dry but lively allegro; languid legato andante; and a light rondo to cap it all off.

Andy Platt - Invention in E Major
Bach is a very nice start to the recital. I also love playing Bach and do so a lot for practice. THis is not one I had heard before. Some very interesting things happening, that sound like a challenge. Fine job and good playing, Andy.

Diana (sinophilia) - This and That
Nice to hear this fun contrast, Diana. This is really cute and well done. Fine playing.

dannylux / Mel - Azarashvili Nocturne
What a production. THis is great, Mel. How nice how it builds from beginning to end.
Really good.

MaryBee - Three Sinfonias
Good for your ambition, MaryBee. You seem to come one after the next with major works. How do you do it?
Wow, you encourage me to do more. Thanks for this. Very fine playing.

wouter79 - Andante con moto, first part of Sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op. 19b
This is beautiful. Very impressive playing at any duration on the bench. Very good for you, wouter79. You clearly a very good feel and nice touch for this. My only suggestion may be --as you develop this work further-- to try and soften / lighten.

lyricmudra - Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2
A very interesting story you have, lyricmudraa. Welcome back. What you learned as a child, clearly was not lost entirely. Good job. Hope you don't stray again.

SwissMS/Doris - Arabesque 1
I can see how you fell in love with this, Doris. It also shows in your presentation. Expression of course is the 4th (often missed) element of music, and this is a good explanation why. Nice.

Sam S - Nocturne Opus 37/1
What a major project, Sam. Similar to what I was saying with MaryBee, nice job with churning them out and really good playing.Nice Piano.

CASINITALY (Cheryl) - First Loss
Nicely played, Cheryl. I'm not familiar with the piece, but it sounds great to me. It always looks worse on the page then it really is. You're doing really great.

Inlanding - Glen - Gnossienne No 1
This really sets a mood for me. Nice solid tempo, expression and fine playing, Glen. Thanks for sharing it.

I'm a little late getting started, but I finally had time to listen to the recital at work. I downloading all the songs to my phone:)
Andy Platt- Invention in E Major- What a great way to start off the recital. Nicely played!:)
Diana(sinophilia) this and That- a piece I’m unfamiliar with, I enjoyed listening to it.
Geener- Waltz in C# Minor- Great job! Nicely played.
Dannylux- Azarashvili Nocturne- another nice relaxing piece to listen to while working on some assignments. You did a very good job playing this.
MaryBee- Three Sinfonias- I really enjoyed the last sinfonia- okay actually I really liked all of them, but especially the last one!:)
Wouter79- First part of sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op.19b- Awesome! Very smoothly played! I enjoyed listening to it.
Lyricmudra- Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15 no 2- you played this really well. I really liked the part around the 1 minute mark I believe it was. 
SwissMS- Arabesque 1- Wow, this is a really pretty piece, and you played it so well
Sam S- Nocturne Opus 37/1- I really enjoyed listening to this piece, nice job!;
Casinitaly- First Loss- another piece I’m unfamiliar with. Nicely done!
Inlanding- Grnossienee No 1- That was a nice relaxing piece, I enjoyed listening to it
Peyton- Message from Space- Part Four (A journey to the Far side of the World) another piece I’m unfamiliar with, It was interesting. I really liked it!
Riddler- Prelude in D Flat Major- I think this might be a favorite of mine! You really played it very well.

At this rate, I might get to acknowledge all the pieces by the next e-cital. I've listened to them all, and there are so many wonderfully done pieces - a fantastic showing by everyone!

06. wouter79 - Andante con moto, first part of Sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op. 19b Very well played. The left hand arpeggios were pretty even. I liked the dynamics. This piece paints wonderful images.

07. lyricmudra - Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2 It never ceases to amaze me how well you play. Your sense of the music always shines. This is not a common Nocturne and for some reason it reminds me so much of his Berceuse. This piece is so playful and you bring it out. Your control over those waterfall runs added so much to the piece for me - such fantastic control. It seems to me like you were having fun playing it, too. Thank you for your music.

08. SwissMS/Doris - Arabesque 1 This is such a Debussy favorite of mine. You play with such sensitivity and playfulness. Really great.

09. Sam S - Nocturne Opus 37/1 I never payed much attention to this Nocturne until now. There are lots of tricky spots to work out with this and you did a fine job. I listened to this many times.

10. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - First Loss I am so glad you chose this piece to play! It helps to show how good your touch is on the keyboard - and an an electric one nonetheless! This is a keeper and I hope you continue to play it over the years. Like a fine wine...

11. Inlanding - Glen - Gnossienne No 1 You gave this a good shot and it'll be interesting to hear this played differently, since there are many ways to slice this musical pie. The repeats can get a bit too much, so you need to alter one from the other a bit more.

12. Peyton - Message From Space: Part Four- A Journey to the Far Side of the World This installment is a further example of your ability to channel your creative talents in more than one direction. Just like this wonderfully colorful movement, your paintings create the same wonder and interest to the finish.

13. Riddler (Ed) - Prelude in D Flat Major This is so great you added this wonderful melody to the e-citals. Thank you for mentioning my version of this e-cital piece - glad I had something to do with your deciding to learn it. I like the control you have and the dynamics you bring to it - very well-done, indeed!

Due to my schedule lately, I've been listening to this and putting together my comments in three different cities! Thank you all for being great road trip music.

Also, thanks to those who commented on my submission! Your comments were very helpful and really helped me get over my internet version of stage fright.

Andy Platt - This invention is one that I've never noticed before and it's really neat! I'm working through them slowly myself and it's definitely going on my "to do" list thanks to you.

Sinophilia - You've got such a strong sense of rhythm! I've just picked up a jazz piano book and discovered through it that my sense of internal timing is pretty awful. This is a neat piece and your confidence really shines.

Greener - I love the way you play the middle section of this. It has a real sense of fun about it.

Dannylux - I've never heard this piece before, but I love the chords in it. Lovely playing.

Marybee - Your Bach has such precision!

Wouter78 - Gorgeous playing. That left hand part sounds like a workout!

Lyricmudra - Lovely job on this nocturne! It sounds tricky.

SwissMS - This is my favorite "grown up" Debussy piece. You do a great job at bringing out the melodies and subtleties of it. It's easy to just have a wall of sound when you speed it up!

Sam S - What a great job on this! I've added this to my list of pieces now - you really do it justice.

CasinItaly - You create a very effective mood with this piece. Great job!

Inlanding - Beautiful job on this. I've never played this Satie, but now it's on my list as well!

Peyton - I'm so impressed that you wrote your own piece for this! It's lovely and really evocative.

Riddler - This piece is new to me and it's very nice!

Allard - This is a very pretty piece!

PeterWS - Another composer! I'm very impressed.

Richard - This is beautiful! What's the difficulty level like?

JazzTPT - I've just started the beginnings of learning jazz piano, but one day I aspire to sound like you. This is wonderful.

Mr Super - Hunky - Great cover!

EarlofMar - You get great speed on this!

Path - This is neat!

ATallGuyNH - One of my favorite Billy Joel songs and this is a great intro!

PikaPianist - This is a lovely flowing rendition of this piece.

Sergess - This is one of my all time favorite songs. You did a great job with it!

Dumik - It can be hard to take on the really famous pieces, but you did a great job with this.

Dynamobt - I've been looking at these arrangements so it's great to hear someone actually do one! You sound great.

Jotur - This is so jazzy and fun!

Clavboy - This is played with confidence and clarity. Great job!

TrueBeginner - This was a sweet and lilting piece. Great job with it!

Daveindenton - Great job with the flow of this piece. It's very pretty.

Yester - Great job with the Bach! Very precise and correct.

Allan W. - This music is gorgeous.

Cmohr - Very laid back and soothing. Great job!

Stumbler - I really like this piece! You do a great job building the drama in it.

TrapperJohn - This show has such great music and version is extra nice. Great choice of pieces.

TimmyAB - Great job with all of those tricky passages here!

Monica K - Very pretty! I've played a few Einaudi pieces but I really should try more.

JimF - You've done a nice job on this Scriabin. Very precise and well thought out.

Sandy - Great job on this! Very stately.

Jake S - You have lots of feeling in this piece, which is really nice. A great version of Satie.

MrPozor - This is a very precise take on this with lots of movement. You've done a great job!

CarlosCC- More pretty Einaudi pieces! This is a great version and I will definitely check out the rest of his stuff.

Valencia - I've never heard this piece before, but it's very pretty. You play it very smoothly and with lots of confidence.

LadyPayne - Great playing, but also what neat effects! I'm always impressed by the people who can combine tech and music around here.

Sand Tiger - I like your piece!

Joangolfing - Great job with all the fluttering parts of this piece - it really sounds like it is meant to.

Mar_Red - This is my favorite song from this show and you don't hear it very much. I like your jazzy take on it lots.

Mile Hi Steve - This is very well done! I like Winston but I've never heard this one before.

Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - I've never heard this before, but it creates a very strong mood. Nice playing and nice choice of piece.

Copper - Another great Mendelssohn that I haven't heard! This has lots of gravitas to it the way you play it.

Lady_Augustina - Nice job on those arpeggios!

Walt - Great job with the Joplin! His stuff is so much fun to play.

Carlos88 - Great job with expressing the subtleties of Debussy. He is easy to overdo, but you play with nice restraint.

Aimee0 - I remember playing this piece as a teenager and thinking it was a blast. You do a great job keeping it even and up to speed.

Benpiano - This is very pretty! Very soothing and relaxing.

Ohio_Mark - You do a great job with this Mozart!

Anne, thank you for the nice comment on my tune! I forgot to mention that "Julia" is one of my husband's favorite Beatles tunes, and since I share much of the recital listening with him, he also liked your recording very much.

14. Allard - Dreamer's Waltz Very beautifully played.

15. peterws - Contemplation 5 That was e a joy to watch. A very nice melody that compliments the imagery very well.

16. Richard (zrtf90) - Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth I've not heard this piece before. You bring such sensitivity to the music. It's clear to me you are listening very carefully to the music as you express it.

17. Jazztpt (Russ) - For Em Russ, it's great to hear and watch you create such a wonderful melody, with such rich/dense chords. You mixed the abstract with the tangible into a fantastic composition. Thank you for your music!

18. Mr Super- Hunky - Rain (Cover) That's quite an arrangement you created there, MSH! Very upbeat and positive, much like the atmosphere you help create on PW. Great work, for sure!

19. Earlofmar - Minuet in G major (BWV Anh. 116) Very impressive to play so well after only 8.5 months! Such good control and it will be interesting to hear this one again in another 8.5 months - great playing.

20. patH / Patrick Hollstein - Der tanzende Schwan (The dancing swan) What an interesting composition so very well played. I am curious what kinds of things motivated you to create such an inspiring piece of music.

21. aTallGuyNH - New York State of Mind (intro only) That was a fine intro to one of my favorites songs by Billy Joel.

22. PikaPianist - Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3, Gb major You maintained the melodic voice very nicely and your expert choice of controlling the dynamics added a great deal to this wonderful melody. Fantastic!

23. Serge88 - Manha de Carnaval I used to listen to the piece all the time as my parents played it over and over and over and over. This brings up so many fond memories growing up.

24. Anne H - Julia arr. by Phillip Keveren This is such a sweet Beatles ballad and you play it that way, with such thoughtfulness. Congratulations on your first PW recital - I look forward to hearing more of your music.

27. jotur/Cathy Turner - Shine On Harvest Moon It sounds pretty "jaunty" to me. What fun to listen to, Cathy! I can see why the seniors love it.

28. ClavBoy - Minuet in D minor Nice, ClavBoy. I don't think it suffered from the lack of pedal. I like the sections where it goes back and forth between the left and right hands.

29. (Was) TrueBeginner - Childhood Memories Your compositions are always so smoothly flowing and somehow soothing. Why do you have a blanket over your piano?

30. daveindenton - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing This doesn't sound like an "old hymn" to me. It has an energy to it that I really like. That's so nice that your mom enjoys hearing this.

31. yester - 5 little preludes No. 1 - BWV 939 Nice tone. And that tricky part at the end you've got down pretty well. I think the piece could benefit from a little steadier beat throughout. Have you tried working on this with a metronome?

32. Allan W. - Wind Scene - Chrono Trigger Wow, that's some impressive playing! So graceful and so much expression poured into this.

33. CMohr - "You've Changed" I like your arrangement very much. For me, as a non-jazz-connoisseur, that you kept it simple and emphasized the melody made it easier to listen to. Nice playing; I enjoyed it.

34. stumbler - A Lenda Do Caboclo W166 That's cool that you were able to use the sostenuto pedal for this. I like your variations in dynamics throughout the piece.

BenPiano, SAnnM AB-2001, CMohr, Allard, jotur, aTallGuyNH, CarlosCC, Sam S, AimeeO, Riddler, Mr Super-Hunky, Anne H
Thank you all for your feedback on my piece. It has been great to take part in the recital again.





Thank you two for the encouragement. The piece was new to me too but I fell in love with it immediately. The errors are definitely there but I'm working on them.



Thank you for the comments. Perfection is certainly out of reach but there's always room for improvement. I continue playing this piece almost daily and I feel that the articulations and the left/right hand balance have already improved. It's incredible how much time I have to spend on a single piece to get it to that level though. I never imagined it would be hard like that.



The camera was mounted on a normal camera tripod. They can get fairly high. My DSLR also has a pivotable screen which makes setup much easier. Editing in the name of the piece was a sponaneous idea because the right side of the video seemed so empty. I'll keep experimenting!



Thank you. Playing the left hand much softer than the right hand and have it jump at the same time is still difficult for me. But I do agree it is important, especially for a Waltz, and I'm still trying to improve it each time I play.

So, I finally found time to listen to the recital. A bit late; but better late than never.

Lots of nice piano playing and nice variety of music.

Just one very little note of criticism: Some performances were a bit hesitant; with ritardandos and rubatos that did not sound intentional. Maybe it's because of the fear of hitting wrong notes?
My personal opinion: Wrong notes are not that bad. But if the performance is too hesitant it sound more like a piano lesson than a recital.
So: Don't hesitate when performing.

But all in all, it was nice. Especially to be reminded of the European Piano Party.

MaryBee, thank you so much for your comments on my tune! I especially appreciate that, as a " non-jazz-connoisseur", you found it easy to listen to. It makes me very happy that I could at least fulfill that aspect of the total package.

Anybody know where BillM is these days? He didn't submit to this Recital (which is unusual) and is MIA in the last couple of Piano Bars (which is even more unusual)...

I don't know (and agree, it is unusual) - I looked at the Userlist (anyone can do that, it isn't part of my superpowers ) ...he shows as being on the site yesterday.

I hope he is ok!

Starr Keys didn't submit anything, either. Our two vocalists missed this one. Any other singers in this recital? (I'm only half way through; maybe there's one in the second half.)

35. TrapperJohn - Medley: Drink With Me/Do You Hear The People Sing? (from Les Miserables) I think this is one of your best performances yet. I like the contrast you give between the gentleness of the first song and the power in the second.

36. timmyab - Sonata in C K545 Great performance! I especially enjoyed hearing how well you did with the first movement, as I remember the struggles I had when I was learning it. (As for Mozart sitting next to you -- you just have to learn to laugh back at him.)

37. Monica K. - Discovery at Night You certainly know how to use dynamics and phrasing to bring drama to a piece. Very nice.

38. JimF - Canon in D Minor Jim, it's nice to finally hear you play! This is quite an interesting piece, even though I guess the dog didn't care for it. That 3v2 rhythm (in one hand!) sounds like it would be tricky. You did great with it.

39. Sandy - Consolation I like the block chords, and you do a nice jobs bringing out the melody in the RH right hand above all that.

40. Jake S - Gnossienne No.1 Ooo. This gave me goosebumps. Beautiful playing. No bar lines has to make it hard to read, no? (Luckily there were measures marked on the version I worked with.)

41. MrPozor - Waltz in B minor I can see why you love this piece. I really like how it keeps switching back and forth between minor and major keys. You handle the jumps well.

I'm glad you noticed that MaryBee - that was the exact intent of the composers and that's one of the main reasons I played them in that order.

Dannylux - I LOVE the sound of the Nocturne and I loved the way you play it - beautiful-. I actually liked it to the point that I joined pianophilia (I didn't know it existed and it looks very interesting). Anyway, I found and downloaded it and have started on it.

It doesn't seem too technically difficult but it sure is tricky to sight read, especially the close intertwining of the left and right hand in the middle sections. Pretty intricate.

I'll get it though, I already am enjoying it.

Thanks for posting it.